WOLAITA SODDO UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF INFORMATICS
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
TITLE:WEB BASED STUDENT UNION VOTING
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR WSU

PREPARED BY:
NAME OF GROUP MEMBER ID NO

1. Tsegaw Kebede ---------------------------------CS/WE/177/12

2. Solomon Abate ---------------------------------CS/WE/177/12

3. Zinaw Alemayehu -------------------------------CS/WE/192/12

4. Mihretu Samuel ----------------------------------CS/WE/126/12

5. Yordanos Degefu --------------------------------CS/WE/188/12

ADVISOR: TEMESGEN MENGISTU

SUBMITTED TO WOLAITA SODDO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INFORMATICS

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Wolaita sodo university, Ethiopia( May, 2024G.C)

 Approval sheet

This group project proposal entitled “WEB BASED STUDENT UNION VOTING
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM(VMS) FOR WSU” has been read and approved as
meeting the preliminary final project requirements of the department of Computer
Science in Partial Fulfillment for the award of the degree of BSc. in Computer Science in
Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia. This senior group project proposal has been approved
with the signature of Advisor, Examiners and Department Head of Computer Science.

Advisor Name Signature

Date

Examiner 1 Signature
Date

Examiner 2 Signature
Date

Dep’t Head Signature

Date

Table of Contents

Approval sheet...................................................................................................................ii
List of figures.......................................................................................................................v

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List of table..........................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgment................................................................................................................vi
Abstract..............................................................................................................................vii
Acronyms.........................................................................................................................viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..................................................................................1
1.1. Existing system study................................................................................................1
1.2. Statement of the problem..........................................................................................2
1.3. Objective of the Project.............................................................................................3
1.3.1. General objective...................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Specific Objective...............................................................................................3
1.4. Scope and Limitation of the Project..........................................................................4
1.4.1. Scope of the Project............................................................................................4
1.4.2. Limitation of the project.....................................................................................4
1.5. Significance of the Project........................................................................................4
1.6. Methodology.............................................................................................................5
1.6.1. Data gathering technique....................................................................................5
1.6.2. Design Methodology..........................................................................................5
1.6.3. Implementation Methodology............................................................................6
1.6.4. Testing Methodology.........................................................................................7
1.7. Feasibility study........................................................................................................7
1.7.1. Technical feasibility...........................................................................................7
1.7.2. Operational feasibility........................................................................................8
1.7.3. Economic feasibility...........................................................................................8
CHAPTER TWO: REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS DESCRIPTION..................................9
2.1. Overview of the existing system...............................................................................9
2.1.1 Activities of the existing system.......................................................................10
2.1.2 Problem of Existing System..............................................................................10
2.1.3. Strength, Weakness, opportunity, and threats (SWOT)...................................11
2.2. Overview of the proposed system...........................................................................12

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 2.2.1. Functional Requirements..................................................................................13
2.2.2. Non-Functional Requirement...........................................................................15
2.2.3. Systems Requirement.......................................................................................16
2.2.4. User Requirement.............................................................................................16
2.2.5. Business Rules..................................................................................................17
CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM MODELING...................................................................17
3.1 Use case Model........................................................................................................17
3.1.1. Actor Specification...........................................................................................18
3.1.2. Use case Diagram.............................................................................................18
3.1.3. Use case description.........................................................................................19
Table 3.8 Use case description for View result..........................................................25
Table 3.9 Use case logout...........................................................................................26
3.2. Sequence Diagram..................................................................................................30
3.3. Class diagram..........................................................................................................38
3.4 Activity diagram......................................................................................................39
CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM DESIGN............................................................................42
4.1 Design Goals............................................................................................................43
4.2. System Decomposition...........................................................................................44
4.3. System architecture.................................................................................................46
4.4. Deployment Diagram..............................................................................................47
4.5. Persistence Data Management................................................................................48
4.6. Access Control and security....................................................................................49
4.7. User Interface Design..............................................................................................50
CHAPTER FIVE...............................................................................................................50
5. Implementation Techniques and tools.......................................................................50
5.1 Over view of the programming language used............................................................51
5.2 Techniques of implementation....................................................................................51
5.3 . Hardware....................................................................................................................51
5.4. Software:.....................................................................................................................51

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5.5. Major activities of system implementation in our system..........................................52
5.5.2. Installation...............................................................................................................52

List of figures
Figure3.1Use case diagram................................................................................................19
Figure3. 2 Sequences diagram of login into the system....................................................31
Figure3. 3 Sequence diagram for Approve committee......................................................32
Figure3. 4 Sequence diagram for candidate register.........................................................33

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Figure3. 5 Sequence diagram for approve candidates.......................................................34
Figure3. 6 Sequence diagram for Search...........................................................................35
Figure3. 7Sequences diagram for generate report.............................................................36
Figure3. 8Sequences diagram for vote/choose..................................................................37
Figure3.9Sequences diagram for logout for all users........................................................38
Figure3.10 Class diagram..................................................................................................39
Figure3.11 Activity diagram of login to the system..........................................................40
Figure3.12 Activity diagram of vote.................................................................................41
Figure3. 13 Activity diagram for create account...............................................................42
Figure4.1 System Decomposition diagram........................................................................45
Figure4. 2 System architecture.........................................................................................47
Figure4. 3 Deployment diagram........................................................................................48
Figure4. 4 persistence data management diagram.............................................................49

List of table
Table 1.2 budget analysis....................................................................................................9
Table 3.1 actor specification..............................................................................................18
Table 3.2 Use case description for login...........................................................................19
Table 3.3 Use case description for Approve election committee......................................20

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Table 3.4 Use case description for register candidate.......................................................21
Table 3.5 Use case Approve candidate..............................................................................22
Table 3.6 Use case description for vote.............................................................................23
Table 3.7 Use case Generate reports..................................................................................24
Table 3.8 Use case description for View result.................................................................25
Table 3.9 Use case logout..................................................................................................26
Table 3.10 Use case description for Create Account.........................................................27
Table 3.11 Use case documentation for Post announcement............................................28
Table 3.12 Use case description for view candidate..........................................................29
Table 4. 1 System access control.......................................................................................49

Acknowledgment
First of all we want to thanks the glorious and almighty ‘GOD’ for each and everything
throughout our life for keeping our safe, staying power and energy starting from to get in
to the friendship up to the day we have prepared this project documentation successfully.
Secondly we want to take this opportunity to express deepest appreciation and heart full
thanks to the respected adviser Temesgen and Instructor Teachers for their great

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contribution and advice in our project documentation and source code what we have to do
timely and efficiently. And we would like to express more and more our supporter
Wolaita Sodo University’s student unions, their provide the information to support,
encouragement, comments and gives necessary information for us on during preparation
of this project. Finally we want to say special thanks to our classmates to gave more
information what our system would going well and supports us to continue at the end of
prepared this documentation.

Abstract
This documentation explains about online student’s union voting system which we would
develop for Woliata Sodo University. Currently the services that are given in student
union voting system is handled manually and the number of students who is getting
service that are increasing every year. So to give the services and manage become very
difficult as student union voting system handled its every day activity manually. Having
the above problem, we are going to solve this by making online student voting System.

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This voting system claims to change the manual voting system in to Online. The system
is very interactive and useful for Wolaita Sodo university students since it is applicable
anywhere in the same functionality. Online voting system used to register, vote, contest
online and count the votes casted by the voters. It is advantageous in reducing the
complexity of the election process. We have developed this project using PHP as front
end MY SQL as back end.

Acronyms
CPU: Central processing Unit

CSS: Cascading Style Sheet

WTU: Wolaita Sodo University

WSUOSUVS: Wolaita Sodo University online student union voting system

EC: Election committee

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GUI: Graphical User Interface

HTML: Hypertext markup language

MYSQL: MY Structure Query language

OS: Operating System

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

UML: Unified Model Langua

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 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Nowadays use of information and communication technology in all over the global world
is become very advantageous in each and every activity. Due to this advantage we are
interested to develop online student union voting system. Students union is the most
important and crucial thing to get proper attention to academic problems of students and
convey the same to the respective authority. Some of the problems that student union
addresses include academic problems such as, food, dormitory problem etc. To solve the
above problems effectively, we need an effective student union committee. The current
system aids us to elect an effective student union committee. Online Student voting
development is to provide all students of the Wolaita Sodo University with the ability to
quickly, easily and securely vote in their Student Union voting when one or more of the
various elections held each year. By circumventing the need for students to attend voting
stations in person, saving time, effort and the other barriers to voting this will help to
increase voter turnout and thereby make any decision more representative of the
electorate’s views.

1.1. Existing system study

This project focused on solving the problem of manual voting system process of WSU’s
student union voting system by using online voting system. This system provides an
interactive and attractive way of voting process using different mechanisms. The system
mainly includes registration, candidate id, voter’s information and WSU students.
The existing system of the WSU student union used manual election system and
distributed information about election process by manual system such as write a
collection of sheets paper and to post on to different place on boards and on block of
walls. The existing system is used a manual registration of candidate, election committee
and voters(student) or recording and traditional counting (i.e. the main tools of selecting,
recording the students vote by using pen, pencil, with hard paper, cards, shelf and so on).

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1.2. Statement of the problem
The existence system has a number of problems in the working procedure for university
and students. At present Wolaita Sodo University does not having any computerized
system to deal with the vote system. The only thing is the employer or whoever
concerned needs to contact the office of registrar or academic record office for such
purposes can contact the registrar and then get the information or the process. This is one
of the great impacts on Wolaita Sodo University. Some of these problems are:
 Lack of security in the existing system: Poor security system because one can get
easily the document and change whatever they want, loss of information etc. The
manual election systems may not secure

 Time and resource consumption: WSU student union by using such manual
election system time and materials are wasted. For example to record voters
information and to give candidate cards the Student union needed organize the
committee that implement these mission, the committees who give these service
until the elections are completed they loss their time

 It is difficult to keep our interest: All candidates’ information is not placed

separately.

 Lack of information: Because of the manual information distribution system most

of the students could not have the habit of reading notice or accessing information
from board. During the election time there is crowded of voters in order to vote they
must be waiting and spent their time in order to give their voice. The other
shortcoming of using manual system file lost, then after the students’ go back and
ask information about him or her following process about how to vote.

 Difficulty of searching information about the election.

 Vulnerable to different factors and illegal modification of results:

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1.3. Objective of the Project

1.3.1. General objective

The General Objective of this project is to develop Online Student Union Voting
Management system to Wolaita Sodo University.

1.3.2 Specific Objective

To achieve the general objective, the project addressed the following specific objectives.
These specific objectives include:
 To manage accounts for the user
 To post the election date, participants list, result, image news and announcement.
 To identify and analysis the problem with current system and functional and
nonfunctional requirement of new system
 To design the system architecture of the system and back-end database to the
system that can hold all the information of the system users.
 To give feedbacks to union committee in different aspects.
 To develop more secured system to ensure voting fairness and a good interface
to make it easy to use
 To allow legally student can register to the system and participating in the
voting process.
 To implement standard security algorithms that can keep the confidentiality of
the data at rest as well as at communication lines
 To select the appropriate development tools for the system
 To maintain and keeps all the information of all the candidates and voters
 To upload, download different images/videos regarding to voting and view
reports.
 To remove Nominee/candidates from participation, if they are not legally
registered.

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1.4. Scope and Limitation of the Project

1.4.1. Scope of the Project

The scope of this project focuses on online voting management system for Wolaita Sodo
University and authentication of voters and vote results only for the university. The
system contains modules that can handle voters and candidates. The system will give
only authorized user can login into the system by providing their correct User name and
password to access the system, it will register participants, events and winners of every
election, It maintains and keeps all the information of all the candidates and voters, the
voters and committees must be register in the application form and authenticated by
legally users, posts the election date, participants list, result, image news and
announcement. It also uploads and downloads different images/videous of campaigns
presented by participants and the administrator can manage accounts for the user. The
system will give feedbacks to union committee in different aspects.

1.4.2. Limitation of the project

Since our system works online, it needs internet connection. While the voting is going, if
suddenly internet is disconnected, it will difficult to proceed the voting. Even if our
system is precise, being dependent on internet makes it difficult to use it in the absence of
internet connection.

 The system will use for WSU student union voting only.
 The system uses only English language.
 It allows only regular students to participate in voting system.

1.5. Significance of the Project

The significance of the project means the important role of the project to all the societies,
the users and to the concerned bodies. Some of significance of the projects are listed
below:-

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  It improves time, fraud detection and resource expenditure of the university that
exposed to election.
 It provides distributed and equal information through online for all voters
(students) and Information available at time and security for the data.
 It gives private online voting system.
 Increases accuracy and availability and quality of the voting process and number
of voters as individual will find it easier and more convenient to vote.
 Minimize corruption, manpower and working load for the election committee.
 To distinguish the candidate by their specific information
 The system able to allow the voters to get fair voting

1.6. Methodology

1.6.1. Data gathering technique

For designing and developing the online voting system for WSU student, we used the
following methods to gather information about the current system and alternate ways to
develop the new system.

 Interview: Interviewing teachers, staff members and students. To have a well-

informed understanding about the Current system. This helps to assure the
information gathered from observation, document analysis and others.
 Document analysis: Studying the document that is used in the past, in order to
ensure whether the system had been figured out before and understand about the
problems in the current system, rules and procedures for processing data.
 Observation: This is used to analyze the situation in which the current system
is acting. The reason why selecting the observation is to gather information as
it gives direct information and it makes possible to study certain teaching-
learning process.

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1.6.2. Design Methodology
To design the system the project team has choose Object Oriented Modeling techniques
and unified modeling language tools. Reason for choosing:
 It enables us to comprehensively model a system before we develop it.
 Modification of the object implementation is easy because objects are loosely
coupled.
 Understanding of the structure is easy because object oriented modeling and
tools used to represent real world entities.

In the system analysis and design phase of a project we use the web design approach that
examines requirements from the perspective of the web pages and web servers found in
the problem domain.

1.6.3. Implementation Methodology

Implementation tools: In order to implement our system we used the following
programs:
 Front end: PHP and JavaScript
 Back end: MY SQL server
 Web server: WAMP server
 Browser: Mozilla fire fox
Hardware: To implement our document we used the following hardware devices.
 Personal computer
 Connection cable
 Printer
 Intel(R) Core(R)i3 CPU N2830 @ 2.16GHz
 RAM (Random Access Memory)(2GB)
Software: Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task, as
opposed to the physical components of the system (hardware). To implement our
document we used the following software.
 Apache Web server: is software that will use to run Server side application.

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  PHP: hypertext preprocessor language. It will use to implement server side sub
system of the system.
 Dreamweaver: Used to write the specific code.
 Microsoft office word 2007 and above(For writing documentation)
 Microsoft PowerPoint 2007(For presentation )
 Window 7 Operating system and above
 Edraw max and Microsoft vision: For drawing UML diagrams

1.6.4. Testing Methodology

1. Unit Testing
Unit testing is essentially for the verification of the code produced during the coding phase and
the goal is test the internal logic of the module/program. In the Generic code project, the unit
testing is using when coding phase of data entry forms whether the functions are working
properly or not. In this phase all the drivers are willing to test they are rightly connect or not.
2. Integration Testing
All we want to test modules are combined into sub systems, which are then testing. The goal is to
see if the modules are properly integrated, and the emphasis being on the testing interfaces
between the modules. In the generic code integration testing is we will test

1.7. Feasibility study

1.7.1. Technical feasibility

The purpose of technical feasibility is to gain an understanding of the organization ability
to construct proposed system. In order to ensure whether the system is technically
feasible or not, the system should specify the following cases:

 The software currently possess the necessary technology: Because it achieves

the required goal, as much as possible we tried to encounter all hardware and
software requirements and also the technology is easily available and deployed
everywhere.
 The new system posses’ necessarily technical experts: In this project the team
uses languages such as HTML, PHP, Java script and CSS to develop the new

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 system. All these are the technology side and once the module is developed it
can be easily held by non-technical person, so a technically sound expert is not
required, hence this problem doesn’t arise at all.

1.7.2. Operational feasibility

To measure how much the proposed system solves the existing systems problems. This
project is surely operationally feasible because the proposed system is a good solution
maker of the problem or specific solution will work in the existing system and create a
good environment towards the user of the system . So, the proposed system is operationally
feasible because:
 We have all the resource needed for its implementation.
 The system is accepted and supported by the users and site viewers.
 We didn’t get any negative things while collecting information in the
organization.
 The system will minimize the time and man power needed to give fast and
hospitable service to the users.

1.7.3. Economic feasibility

Economic feasibility is the analysis of a project's cost and revenue in an effort to
determine whether or not it is logical and possible to complete. For instance how to start
a business and make a plan for it.

Benefit Analysis

Tangible benefits
Those benefits that are easily quantified from our system that we inquire the vote will get are:

 Reduce the cost

 Decrease response time
 Fewer processing error

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 Intangible benefits
Those benefits that are believed to be difficult or impossible to quantify from our system
are:

 Improving resource utilization and control

 Availability of new, better, or more information to the students
 To increasing security of data and information accuracy.
 To give better services to community

Budget analysis

Table 1.2 budget analysis

No Items Price(in birr) Quantity Total

1 Paper 120 1 A4 paper 120
2 Laptop 12,000 1 10,000
3 CD RW 30 1 30
4 USB flash disk 115 1 115
5 Pen 5 20 100
6 Cell phone 150 5 750
7 Print 2.00 80*2 320
8 Binding 10 5 50
9 SW& HW maintenance 1000 1 500
Total 11,985

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CHAPTER TWO: REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS DESCRIPTION

2.1. Overview of the existing system

Currently the existing system of the WSU student union uses manual voting system. It
distributed information about voting process by posting manually information such as
write a bundle of sheets paper and to thump on to different place on boards and block of
walls. The existing system uses a manual registration of candidate, election committee
and voters (student) list i.e. the main tools of selecting, recording the students vote are
using by pen, pencil, and hard paper.

2.1.1 Activities of the existing system

Since WSU voting system use manually, even if this existing system has a lot of
problems, there are a number of activities that need to be preserved. Those activities in
the existing system are:
 Report Voter registration: This report is prepared in two copies, one for
student service directorate and one for Constituency.
 Report Candidates registration: It is a kind of report generated about all
registered candidate that are registered Constituency. The report prepared
in two copies. One copies for the constituency itself, and one for the
student service directorate office
 Report Canceled candidate: This report is generated by constituency and
sent to the board. The report is prepared in three copies. One copies for the
candidate, one for the constituency itself, and one for the Board.
 Report Vote result: This report is generated about the result found in
each pooling station and generated by pooling station first and transferred
above level after summing up. The report is prepared in two copies one for
office itself and one for student service directorate office. In general the
detailed existing system activities are listed as follows
 When the voting date is arrive, voters go to the voting station to give their
ballot/voice

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  Voters take a lesson about how to perform and fill the election form
 Voters get in to the secret box to give their voice
 at the end of the day counting of each voice is made at voting
centre/station
 finally the aggregate winner of among all candidates is announced as the
final winner

2.1.2 Problem of Existing System

The problems that we justify on the existing manual system of voting system are
mentioned as follows:

 Delay in preparation and distribution of materials

 File control mechanism is very tedious and complicated

 Data redundancy and duplication, when the same data is collected and
stored in different location or section.

 Requires more labor force to conduct and manage the record

 Sharing of critical information efficiently various places in the campus.

 Election vote counting is very complicated.

 High effort and cost is expended in conduction of elections.

 Inaccuracy of input of data.

2.1.3. Strength, Weakness, opportunity, and threats (SWOT)

Weakness

 Lack of data integration and consistency.

 High budget constraint.

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  Waste of time for recording, processing and accessing the data.
 Inefficient and hard to track who voted and who don’t
 Does not give an instant poll result

Strength

 The election board receives any complain and comment from the candidate
and voters
 No need of internet connection during the voting process
 The voter and candidate can physically communicate with their
administrator and election committees

Opportunities

 More number of persons are employed during the voting system, so they
will be benefited.
 Voters can know the process of traditional voting system.

Threats

 The counting may get errors, because they do manually.

 Once list prepared, then it can be changed.

2.2. Overview of the proposed system

The function of student union voting system operational and field coordination
department will be automated. The proposed system will solve the problems that are
faced on the existing system or change manual system to Online voting system in the
following way:
Administrator - Announce students to participate for election committee by post news
through online.
 Register student that want to participate in the election committee.

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  Select students that have experience and best performance form registered one
and announce for university society.
 After election tell for member’s election committee what does and how to do and
distribute works.
 Give privilege in the system.

Election committee:-This election committee has one month work time.

 Accept material form student union.

 Announce time that vote held for university society by post one website and
selected candidate for Administrator and student.
 Fill candidate information or profile in the system.
 Prepare negotiation place and time for candidate to create motivation for their
own.
 If anyone has complained and comment on election accept and give solution for
it.
 Put election date and time taken for election in the system.
 Announce for university society winner student union for next two year.
 After voting finish the system displays result for the user.
 Election committee returns material that accepts from student union.
Candidate: This actor has approved by election committee, and who has the member of
our university student are candidate for this election to represent student.
 In order to participate in the election as candidate the student must register to
system.
 Put his/her advertise information (getting promise) for election in the system.
 He/she stand for to be elect and transfer there notice in order to vote.
 There must have experience and best performance form registered one and
announce for university society.
Voters/students: These actors who have applying to vote his/her representatives in the
election system and those are:

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  Who are regular student that learns in the university currently.
 The voters can login/logout to the System.
 He/ She can view his/her personal details and poll their vote.
 The voter can just view the information whereas he/she could not make changes
in the database.
 The system shall allow voters to view candidate’s information, election results,
and give only one vote/choose for their representatives

2.2.1. Functional Requirements

The functional requirements of the system describe the necessary functions for which the
system is expected to fulfill. The system describes a single and well define goal of
student union online voting system, and the steps involved to reach this goal. A function
is described as a set of inputs, the behavior and output. The requirements specified are
helpful to clearly understand the scope and the objective of the system, and consequently
this will be helpful for designing the system effectively. The proposed system meets the
following functionalities:-

 Login: The system shall allow login to the system only authorized and
authenticated system users.
 Register: The system shall allow register candidates, election committee.
 Post announcement: The system shall provide proper features to post
information like election date, registration date, end date and comments or
questions for all visitors.
 Post result: The system shall allows to post result
 View result: during election.
 Administrator page: is a page that allows administrator can provide proper user
account management feature to authorized and authenticated system users, post
result, upload, videos regarding to voting, manage accounts and generate report
and view reports.

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  View candidate info: is a page that The Admin, voter and the election committee
have their own Credentials stored and system can display candidate’s information
from database.

 Choose: the system shall allow using users’ friendly and dynamically interactive
online election system.
 View result: The system shall allow visitors to view posted information after
election is completed.
 Feedback: The system allows give feedbacks to union committee in different
aspects.
 Create Account: is a page that allows to create new account for the user
 Generates Report: At the end of the election, the system allows generate the
Reports of the election based on the candidate.
 The system shall block Nominee/candidates from participation, if they are not
legally registered
 Approve election committee: The system allows administrator to approve
election committee of the campus.
 Approve candidate: The system allows election committee can approve students
that participate in the election as a candidate
 Logout : The system shall allow administrator, election committee and voters can
logout to the system

2.2.2. Non-Functional Requirement

Nonfunctional requirements should provide specific measurements that the software must
meet. Here some of non-functional requirements are:

 Error handling Conditions: To reduce input fault, the system will enable the
user to confirm that details are correct before creation, deletion or modification
occurs. · Respond to error inputs by asking the user to reenter data in the correct
format.

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  Security issues: Changes to the information held within the system may produce
significant changes to the users of the system as these could lead to inconsistent
data. With the system recording confidential information of candidates, it is vital
that the users of the system can only access the information that the administrator
allows them to do.

 Portability: The system can be browsed in different internet explorer versions

and Mozilla fire fox.

 Efficiency: Specifies how well the software utilizes scarce resources: CPU
cycles, disk space, memory, bandwidth, etc.

 Flexibility: If the organization intends to increase or extend the functionality of

the software after it is deployed, that should be planned from the beginning; it
influences choices made during the design, development, testing, and deployment
of the system.

 Integrity: Integrity requirements define the security attributes of the system,

restricting access to features or data to certain users and protecting the privacy of
data entered into the software.

 Reliability: Reliability specifies the capability of the software to maintain its

performance over time. Unreliable software fails frequently, and certain tasks are
more sensitive to failure (for example, because they cannot be restarted, or
because they must be run at a certain time).

2.2.3. Systems Requirement

Hardware and Software
Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task, as opposed to
the physical components of the system (hardware).
 System software such as an operating system
 Web browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google chrome, …)
 Front –End: (PHP)

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  Back-End: MYSQL

2.2.4. User Requirement

User requirement can be described as what services the system is expected to provide the
users. The system describes a single and well define goal of student union online voting
system, and the steps involved to reach this goal. The system to be designed is a program
that can be used to facilitate Wolaita Sodo University online voting system with the
following user requirement actions.

 Login: The Admin, voter and the election committee have their own
Credentials stored in the database.

 Generates Report: At the end of the election, administrator will generate the
Reports of the election based on the candidate.

 Display: - the system can display candidate’s information from database.

 Add and edit candidate’s information:-the system can allow adding

candidate’s information.

2.2.5. Business Rules

A business rule is effectively an operating principle or policy the software must satisfy.
It often relevant to access control issues, business calculations, or operating policies and
principles of the organization. Therefore, our new system has the following business
rules.
 The Candidate should be member of Wolaita Sodo University.
 The candidate should listen and speaks the local language in his competition
area.
 The candidate should have the performance to his/her given work type.
 Authorize the system: The users have different privileges to the system and
have username and password.

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 The administrator should manage the system and give accesses (views) to
those users as per their priority and privilege to the system and update the
Password.
 Correct information: The user checks the filled information and the entered
information are correct.
 Validate candidate Information: The authorized user/ constituency register
the candidate’s information and the system validates.

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 CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM MODELING
3.1 Use case Model
The use case model provides detailed information about the behaviors of the system or
application that we are developing. A use case represents a discrete unit of interaction
between a user and the system. A use case is a single unit of meaningful work. Each use
case has a description which describes the functionality that will be built in the proposed
system. Use case my include another use case functionality or extend another use case
with its own behavior use cases are typically relate to actors.

3.1.1. Actor Specification

Table 2.1 actor specification

Actor name Role

Administrator This actor who control and manage the systems, and select election
committee from student that learns from the university.

Election Election committee approves the candidate who has the member of our
committee university and do all task related to this election together with student
dean.

Candidate The actor is one who has approved by election committee and who
has the member of our university student are candidate for this
election to represent student.

Voter The actor is who is applying to vote his/her representatives in this

system and those who are regular student that learns in the
university currently

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3.1.2. Use case Diagram

Figure3.1 Use case diagram

3.1.3. Use case description

Table 3.2 Use case description for login

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Use case ID UC-01
Name Login
Priority Must have
Actor Voter ,Election committee ,Administrator
Description This describes how the users log into the system
Precondition: Users of the system should have User name and password
Post The Voter, Election committee and Administrator successfully login and do
condition tasks properly.
Basic course User action System response
of action 1. Any user that has account enters his 1. The system check if the
login name and password. security password is
2.The user click on the login button correct or not. If it is
A. If the login name and password is correct return wanted
valid, a session is opened page. If not correct return
 The security is verified you are not correct user
 The specific page of every user massage.
is loaded 2. The user click on logout
button the system is
sleep.

Alternative If the login name or password is not valid, the login screen is redisplayed
course with an error message.
action  The session is terminated.
 The login screen is displayed.

Table 4.3 Use case description for Approve election committee

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Use case ID UC-02
Name Approve Election committee
Priority High
Actor Administrator
Description To elects the election committee for elections purpose.

Precondition: Know registered student are valid for election.

Post condition Announce for student selected election committee.

Basic course of User action System response

action 1. Administrator announce for student register for
election committee.
2. Student registers for election committee.
3.Administrator selects members for
Committee by performance and experiences.
4. Administrator tells what type of work the
committee does.
5. Use case ends.
Alternative If any complain make to student by the student return to student
course of action profile that registered basic course of action no 2 and check again.

Table 5.4 Use case description for register candidate

Use case ID UC-03

Name Register
Priority High

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 Actor Candidate
Description In order to participate in the election as candidate the student must
register to system.
Precondition Student are valid that means there must have experience and best
performance form registered one and announce for university society.
Post condition Logout their account correctly

User action System response

1. Open website if you want to register 1. Check password

Basic course 2. Enter password and User name to go and User name and
of action registration form. return message and
3. Password and User name is valid fill the form page.
correctly. 2. Display correctly
4. Click on register button. registered
message.
Alternative If password and User name entered by student is not valid return to
course of basic course of action step 2 and try again.
action

Table 6.5 Use case Approve candidate

Use case ID UC-04

Name Approve Candidate
Priority High
Actor Election committee

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Description This describes how EC will approve the application form of candidate and
generate the new account to that candidate.
Precondition: The candidate should have filled his application form that specified by EC.

Post condition The EC can get accepted candidates.

Basic course of User action System response
action
1.EC see applicant form registration list 1. Check if the necessary
2. EC selects the candidate application information of candidate is
form list by their performance. inserted.
3. Post selected candidate for user of 2. EC can get result of student
the system. from registrar database.
3. Insert selected candidate to the system. 3. Successfully inserted
4. Use case ends. Message
Alternative If candidates are not full filed the criteria of the election, the EC can change
course of other candidate students from the university.
Action

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Table 7.6 Use case description for vote

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Use case ID UC-05
Name Choose
Priority High
Actor Voter
Description This explains voting process by using the system.
Precondition: Voters must be registered student in the university.
Post condition Logout the account.
Basic course User action System response
of action 1. Open website to enter his/her username  The system checks if
and password. username and password
2. Voter gets his validation form the system. is correct or not.
3. Voters must have Username and password  Display online vote page
to login in to the system.  You select successfully
4. If the Username and password is correct message displayed.
online vote page is opened.
5. Voter see candidate and then select only
one competitor.
6. Finally click on vote button.
7. Use case ends
Alternative If the Username and password is not correct go to step 3 basic course of
course of action and login again.
action If voter not selected one candidate try again to open the page and select the
candidate.
If candidate identification not happened back and open the page again.

Table 8.7 Use case Generate reports

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Use case ID UC-06
Name Generate reports
Priority High
Actor Administrator
Description The administrator finally see total reports from the system
Precondition: The election process or time must finish.
Post condition Generate final Report Information
Basic course of User action System response
action 1. The administrator login to the Check if username and
system by their username and password are correct system
password. responded valid page.
2. If username and password are If not correct display error
correct page is opened. message.

3. Click on reports from page.

4. Fetch Report

5. Use case ends.

Alternative If required information is empty or not found try again the system.
course of action

Table 9.8 Use case description for View result

Use case ID UC-07
Name View result

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Priority Medium
Actor All user of the system
Description This describes the process of how the voters view the election results by
using the system.
Precondition: Time must be run over the limit.
Post condition The user knows the wanted information.
Basic course of User action System response
action 1. The user must be open  The system respond
website. requested action to the
2. The user can ask information administrator.
they want to know.  The system display searched
3. After searching necessary data or information.
information click on view button.  System display successfully
4. After getting necessary message.
information they can view.

5. Use case end.

Alternative If all users can’t see the result of the election, try again and login to the
course of action system.

Table 10.9 Use case logout

Use case ID UC-8
Name Logout
Priority High
Actor Voter ,Election committee ,Admin, and Student dean
Description The Voter, Election committee and Administrator of the system must

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 logout after you finish work properly.
Precondition: UC-1
Post condition The system logout
Basic course of User action System response
action
1. The Voter, Election committee, candidate and The system responds
Administrator went to logout from the site. the requested action.
2. The Voter, Election committee, Admin, and The system forms
Administrator click on logout button. that page to login
3. The use case exit. page.
Alternative If not successfully logout please try again it maybe connection problem
course of action go to basic course of action step two.

Table 11.10 Use case description for Create Account

Use case ID UC-9

Use case name Create Account

Description Used to create account for ECs.

Actor Administrator

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 Pre- condition: The user must be approved as Election Committee

Post- condition The user account successfully created.

Basic course of Step1.The administrator wants to create account.

action (Flow of
Step2.The system displays create account page.
event):
Step3.The administrator fills the required information and submits it.

Step4.The system validates the information.

Step5.The system registers the users into the system.

Step6.The system displays created account information.

Step7.The use case ends.

Alternative Invalid information entry.

course of action
1. The system displays error message.
(Flow of event):
2. Go to step 2 to fill again.

Table 12.11 Use case documentation for Post announcement

Use case ID UC-10

Use case name Post announcement

Description Administrator used to post announcement.

Actor Administrator and election committee

Pre-condition First login to the system.

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 Post- condition Newer Information is posted

Basic course of action Step1. Open the homepage.

(Flow of event):
Step2. Login to the system.

Step3. Click on Add news link.

Step4. Fills the new posting form.

Step5. Click submit button.

Step6. End use case.

Table 13.12 Use case description for view candidate

Use case ID UC-11

Name View candidate
Priority Medium
Actor All user of the system
Description This describes the process of how the candidates view the
candidates’ information by using the system.

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 Precondition: Time must be run over the limit.
Post condition The user knows the wanted information.
Basic course of User action System response
action 3. The user must be open website.  The system respond
4. The user can ask information requested action to
they want to know. the administrator.
3. After searching necessary  The system display
information click on candidates searched data or
view button. information.
4. After getting necessary  System display
information they can view. successfully
message.
5. Use case end.

Alternative If all users can’t see the candidates’ information, try again and
course of action login to the system.

3.2. Sequence Diagram

Sequence diagrams are used to model the logic of usage scenarios or the description of
the potential way the system used. Sequence diagrams are a great way to validate and
flesh out the logic of use case scenarios and to document the design of the system.

Login sequence diagram

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Figure3. 2 Sequences diagram of login into the system

Sequence diagram for Approve committee

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Figure3. 3 Sequence diagram for Approve committee

Sequence diagram for candidate register

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Figure3. 4 Sequence diagram for candidate register

Sequence diagram for approve candidates

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Figure3. 5 Sequence diagram for approve candidates

Sequence diagram for Search

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Figure3. 6 Sequence diagram for Search

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Figure3. 7Sequences diagram for generate report

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Sequences diagram for vote

Figure3. 8Sequences diagram for vote/choose

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 Figure3.9Sequences diagram for logout for all users

3.3. Class diagram

Class diagram in the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a type of static structure
diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the system's classes, their

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attributes, operations (or methods), and the relationships among objects. For this project
the project team develops the following class diagrams.

Figure3.10 Class diagram

3.4 Activity diagram

Activity diagrams are graphical representations of workflows of stepwise activities and

actions with support for choice, iteration and concurrency. In the unified modeling language
(UML), activity diagrams can be used to describe the business and operational step-by-
step workflows of components in a system. An activity diagram shows the overall flow of
control.

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Activity diagram of login to the system

Figure3.11 Activity diagram of login to the system

Activity diagram of vote

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Figure3.12 Activity diagram of vote

Activity diagram for create account

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Figure3. 13 Activity diagram for create account

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 CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM DESIGN

Up to now we were concentrating on the problem domain. We discussed the user’s

requirement in the requirement specification document. After this has been done, the
analysis part was completed using different UML diagrams. System design is the most
important step to get into the solution domain. So, in this part the design aspect of the
proposed system will be described. System design is the process and it focuses on
decomposing the system into manageable parts. During requirements analysis, we
concentrated on the purpose and the functionality of the system.

The system have client server architecture where the user access the website from the
server having WAMP server for manipulating information about registered users like
customers, employees and suppliers. Normally users are expected to browse the website
in order to view any information in each page of the website. The purpose of this part
(design) is to indicate the transformation of the analysis part into design and also show
how to convert analysis into implementation.

4.1 Design Goals

The purpose of designing is to show the direction how the system is built and to obtain
clear and enough information needed to drive the actual implementation of the system.
The design goal is derived from the nonfunctional requirements of the system, which
were stated in chapter two of this document. They describes on what the system should
focus on. This includes:
 User interface: The user interface of the system should be easy to use by each
user of the system with little training. Our interfaces contains different buttons
which guides the users on what they need to click and fill form to enter to their
pages in order to do what they want. So the system’s interface is easy to go
through. We also used different icons, buttons, frames and colors to make the
interface more attractive. The interface also can show where users are going to
click.

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  Security: Normal users are not allowed to edit any information that is displayed
in each page and also information that is stored in the web database. So only users
that are allowed by the administrator can use the system, so no one can create an
account by itself and access the system. But only legally person who has an
account can login to the system using his/her username and password. So, we can
ensure that our system is definitely secured.
 Fault tolerance: The system should be able to give response (error message)
when the user enters incorrect input. If the user enter incorrect data like username,
password and other invalid inputs, then the system displays error message that
inform the user to enter the correct data, to do so, we apply validation to our
system using java script.
 Assumptions and dependencies: Since we are going to develop a new
application, it is highly dependent on the existence of web server application
software, and on persistent database management (DBMS). End-users need to
have only basic knowledge on how to use computer application, and they need to
know English language since our system is to be developed using it.
 End user Criteria: Usability is the extent to which a product can be used by
specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified context of use. From the end users’ perspective the
system should be designed in such a way that it is easy to learn and use
efficiently.

4.2. System Decomposition

System decompositions or breaking down a system into its components (subsystems)
help to reduce the complexity of the system. The subsystems can be considered as
packages holding related classes/objects. Here we will focus on the system components
and their relationships with each other.

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Figure4.14 System Decomposition diagram

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4.3. System architecture
The architectural Design is a top level design which shows there entities, their
relationships. The objectives of designing are to model a system with high quality. The
ability of the programmers to implement a high-quality, error-free system depends very
much on the nature of the design created by the designer. System architecture is the
conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and more views of a student union
voting system. The system architecture diagram shows the connection between different
machines and the path they are connected to each other. The newly developed system
uses client/server architecture. In this type of architecture the server is responsible to
receive request from the client and respond to the request, where as the client is
responsible to interact with the users of the system.

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 Figure4. 15 System architecture

4.4. Deployment Diagram

Deployment diagrams show the configuration of run-time processing elements and the
software components, processes, and objects that live on them. Software component
instances represent run-time manifestations of code units. Deployment diagrams are
useful when your software solution is deployed across multiple machines with each
having a unique configuration.

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Figure4. 16 Deployment diagram

4.5. Persistence Data Management

Persistent Diagram is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This
logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and
physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a data definition language,
which can then be used to create a database. A fully attributed data model contains
detailed attributes for each entity. It can be thought of as the logical design of the base
data structures used to store the data.

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Figure4. 17 persistence data management diagram

4.6. Access Control and security

Access control is way of enabling & limiting access to a system or to physical or virtual
resources according to access level. A control is a process by which users are denied
access to the system or granted access and certain privileges to systems, resources or
information. When the user can login, the user will be authenticated and then authorized
access to the system.

Table 14. 1 System access control

Use case Administrator Election Candidate Student/voter SQL

committee agent

Manage users 
account

Approve candidate 

Approve EC 

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

 Post result and 
image news

Apply registration  

Choose 

Post announcement 

Create account  

Send password reset 

key

4.7. User Interface Design

User interface design is the overall process of designing how a user will be able to
interact with a system.
The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient
as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals.

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

 CHAPTER FIVE

5. Implementation Techniques and tools.

Implementation is the final and the most important phase of Software development life
cycle(SDLC) since obtaining a working software product is the main objective of
software development. Without implementation the whole effort made will be vain since
the other phases are intended to help the implementation phase. It includes interface
implementation and most importantly, coding.

5.1 Over view of the programming language used

A programming language is a set of symbols, grammars and rules with the help of
which one is able to translate algorithms to programs that will be executed by the
computer. The programmer communicates with a machine using programming
languages. Most of the programs have a highly structured set of rules.

5.2 Techniques of implementation

We use different tools and technologies for the development of Voting management
system . The bulk of these tools are webpage development tools. There are also stand-
alone application development tools but their use is not substantial. We use the latest
version of these development tools to increase technological capacity. The major
software development tools to be used to develop the system are:

- WAMP server (which has MYSQL, PHP and APACHE embedded inside it) and
editor (sublime, notepad++ and bracket) is the main development tool for our system
since the system to be developed is web based system.

5.3 . Hardware
 40 and above GB Hard disk
 2 GB RAM
 flash disc
 external hard disk
 mouse
 key board
 monitor

5.4. Software:
 Language: PHP
 XAMPP Server 2012

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

  Google chrome
 Window 7 operating system
 MS word 2007,2010
 Rational Rose , Edraw max 7.7,Visual paradigm for UML standard design
 Front end: HTML, CSS
 Back end: My SQL

5.5. Major activities of system implementation in our system

5.5.1. Coding: In which we will write the program that used to develop this VMS
project.

5.5.2. Installation
Our group member select parallel way of system installation because in parallel way of
installation the old system and the new system can work parallel to each other when in case
the new system fail the old system continue without affecting the organization.
Documentation:-in documentation part we will prepare user manual for system users. It helps
them to refer for any challenging things that occur in the system i.e. it support them to have
the knowledge of how to use this system.

Reference

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

 [1]. Lan Somerville, “software engineering”, eighth
edition, Addition Wesley, 2006.

[2]. Lan Somerville, “software engineering”, eighth edition, Wesley, 2006.

[3].Scott W. Ambler. (2003).Agile development for

use case diagram with

(3rdEdition)[Online].http://www.agilemodeling.com/
artifacts/useCaseDi agram.htm.availa ble (January,
01, 2011).

[4]. I.Booch, “Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

with Applications “, Third Edition, USA, Addition-
Wesley, April 2007.

[5]. Scott W. Ambler. (2003).Agile activity

diagram Development with UML(3rdEdition)
[Online].http://agilemodeling.com/artifacts/activityDi
agram.htm available (January, 10, 2011)

[6].Scott W. Ambler. (2003).Agile development

for use activity diagram
paradigm.com/guide/uml- unified-modeling-
language/what-is- activity-diagram/.

[7].Scott W. Ambler. (2003).Agile development for use class diagram

with UML. http://www.agilemodeling.com/style/classDiagram.htm.
Available (January, 10, 2011)

[8]. https://www.smartdraw.com/sequence-diagram

WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE